Just returned from SD yesterday and noticed my cell phone doesn't work. Hadn't used it in a week except to check messages. Took it to Cingular and the guy said there is a fraud alert on my number.

He said there is a problem with people capturing your cell number when you make a call. Cingular says it happens from Tijuana, only five miles from SD. They think when I checked my messages the number was captured and cloned. The cloning party then made some calls, at least one of which triggered the fraud alert. Cingular is being pretty good about it, not charging extra for fixing the problem or for the calls made.

Next time I'm in SD I'll leave the cell off...

I live in San Diego and have never heard of this before. The only problem I have with my cell phone bill is the number of minutes my son uses. Thousands of people use cell phones here every day without this happening.

This is not a widespread problem in San Diego.

Barbara,

I'm sure that's true, and it was not my intent to warn people not to use their phones. Perhaps my phrasing could have been better. I was just passing on something that happened to me.

Oh Oh.
I was just in SD and made some calls to old travel buddies from our old hang out, Silver Strand Beach.
Hope I didn't get cloned!
Kal

Oh Oh.
I was just in SD and made some calls to old travel buddies from our old hang out, Silver Strand Beach.
Hope I didn't get cloned!

Kal